Nexus - 1603 - New Times Magazine-pages

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CANCER THE PROSTATE LINK BACTERIA Introduction Recent research studies suggest that prostate cancer, as with other forms of cancer, is caused by a rampant bacterial infection. The findings, if taken up by the medical profession, could well overturn current treatment methods that rely on radiation. re unrecognised infectious bacteria involved in prostate cancer? Can bacteria cause cancer? Each year, 680,000 men worldwide are diagnosed with prostate cancer. The disease is the most common orm of cancer in American men, with 230,000 new cases yearly and 30,000 deaths annually. There is an 80 per cent chance that by the age of 80 a man will have prostate cancer. In many cases the cancer is slow-growing, and elderly men with prostate cancer often die from some other cause. The treatment is usually surgical removal of the entire prostate gland or a series of radiation treatments to the prostate. Both procedures often result in urinary incontinence and impotence. Since the late 1980s, the PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test has been used widely as a screening test to detect a protein that can be associated with prostate cancer. A rising PSA level of 4.0 nanograms or more signifies possible cancer. However, a study in 2004 determined that 15 per cent of men with PSA levels less than 4.0 had cancer when their prostates were assessed with biopsies. This new finding is causing turmoil and controversy in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. What causes prostate cancer? The cause of prostate cancer is considered unknown. Acute and chronic inflammation of the prostate (prostatitis) is a common and painful condition affecting younger and middle-aged men. Chronic prostatitis is also acommon but poorly understood condition, and there is debate as to whether it is a risk factor for cancer. Antibiotics are used in the majority of prostatitis cases, and a variety of bacterial species (staphylococci, streptococci, corynebacteria and others) have been cultured from the fluid of prostatitis. Benign prostatic enlargement, a common condition of older men, is not a precursor to cancer. Researchers have recently cautioned men about taking excessive amounts of zinc supplements, claiming that 100 milligrams of zinc daily could more than double the risk of prostate cancer. Zinc is normally found in the prostate, and some nutritionists have previously recommended zinc supplementation as beneficial for prostate health. DHEA, another popular supplement, is also considered suspect because of the fear that increased levels of testosterone seen with the daily intake of DHEA pills could stimulate the growth of a tiny prostate tumour that would otherwise have remained dormant. Email: alancantwell@sbcglobal.net Website: http://wwwaariesrisingpress.com Prostate cancer and infection with "acid-fast" bacteria The idea that bacteria could cause cancer has been taboo in medical science for a century. However, over the years a number of viruses (the NEXUS ° 17 by Alan Cantwell, MD © 2009 APRIL - MAY 2009 www.nexusmagazine.com